Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Oviposition site'

Female gravid mosquitoes’ choice of oviposition site is crucial to larval survival and subsequent mosquito fitness. In order to determine habitat choice in a natural setting, the distribution of Anopheles and culicine larvae in water bodies of fifteen squared kilometres in urban, peri-urban and rural Malindi, in Coastal Kenya, were characterised for physical and chemical parameters. Results showed an association of Anopheles larval presence with ammonium. This led to oviposition field trials to investigate the potential to use two ammonium based fertilisers; ammonium sulphate and ammonium chloride as oviposition lures to divert Anopheles gambiae sensu lato from nearby undisturbed natural habitats. The field experiments were conducted on the river bank of two villages in Coastal Kenya; Jaribuni, in Kilifi district, and Sabaki, in Malindi district. A second field trial at Sabaki involved investigation of an amino acid mixture as an attractant bait. A third field trial at Sabaki was experimentation of four treatments of sodium chloride with the aim to act as a larvicide to anopheline eggs or larvae. A brown plastic circular round basin served as a mimic burrow pit in all experiments. In Jaribuni significantly more An. gambiae sensu lato eggs were laid at the low dose 0.0625 g l-1 of ammonium sulphate than at the high dose 1.18 g l-1. The explanation may have been an overall ammonia volatilisation lure effect. In the amino acid mixture experiment there was no statistical significant difference between the treatment and control. The sodium chloride treatments result was 2392 anopheline larvae with only two eggs in the full strength sea water equivalent of NaCl. It therefore acted as a repellent. The plastic basin mimic burrow pit was extremely effective as an oviposition trap. These findings provide important information on the potential to utilise simple technology to reduce Anopheles larval populations.

Phytophagous insects and plants comprise one half of all macroscopic organisms on Earth, and understanding plant-insect interactions has been a long-standing focus in ecological and evolutionary biology. A key challenge has been determining the factors that affect how insects distribute among plants. While ditrophic and tritrophic interactions are well known and enormously important, the biophysical context in which these interactions occur is largely unexplored. This dissertation examines how a plant's physical environment affects insect performance on, and preference for, its leaves.An insect's primary physiological challenges are staying within an appropriate temperature range and retaining sufficient water. These problems are exacerbated during the egg stage. Eggs have comparatively enormous ratios of surface area to volume, and their temperature is determined largely by where they are laid. Because they are small, eggs are nearly always immersed within their plant's boundary layer, a thin layer of still air that resists heat and moisture transfer between the plant and its surroundings. Almost no work has documented the microclimate to which insects are exposed in a plant's boundary layer, which likely differs substantially both from the ambient macroclimate, and from leaf to leaf.Because a female controls the location in which her eggs must develop, her choice of oviposition site may profoundly influence the success of her offspring. In this dissertation I examine how site-specific environmental variables, including microclimate, predation, and leaf nutrition, drive female oviposition preference and offspring performance in the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta L. (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). I measure how leaves of M. sexta's primary host plants in the southwestern USA modify the temperature and humidity experienced by eggs, and how these leaf microclimates affect the performance of eggs and larvae. I then test whether this species' oviposition-site choices correlate with offspring performance with regard to microclimate, predation risk, and leaf nutrition. This dissertation is unique in focusing on the relatively unstudied biophysical context in which plant-insect interactions occur. Additionally, it is the first work that compares, together in a single study, the effects of varying multiple factors related to oviposition-site choice across all life history stages in a single model system.

<p> As herbivorous insects choose where to lay their eggs, maximizing larval performance (optimal oviposition) may be at odds with adult foraging (optimal foraging). Aspen leaf miners (<i>Phyllocnistis populiella</i>; ALM) may choose between leaves with or without extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) as oviposition sites on quaking aspen (<i>Populus tremuloides</i> Michx.). Reduced ALM mining on leaves with EFNs may be linked to predators that defend leaves and feed at EFNs, and to increased concentrations of secondary leaf compounds. However, direct responses of adult ALM to EFN expression may also explain differences in ALM mining among leaves with and without EFNs. ALM might be less likely to oviposit on leaves with EFNs because these leaves provide poor conditions for larval development. With choice experiments and surveys of ALM oviposition, we examined oviposition site preference in relation to EFN expression. In choice experiments and field surveys adults preferred to oviposit on leaves without EFNs. Increased oviposition was also observed on shoots with high EFN frequencies, suggesting a combination of optimal foraging and optimal oviposition, and a role of EFNs at scales above the leaf level. Higher predation on leaves with EFNs likely exerts selective pressure for the observed ALM oviposition preference for non-EFN leaves.</p>

Resistance development and possible non–target effects have been of concern since the first deployment of genetically modified crops with insecticidal properties. It is especially at the third trophic level and with important predators such as lacewings (Chrysoperla spp.) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) where negative effects of Cry 1Ab protein could have adverse effects in agro–ecosystems. Monitoring of the effect of genetically modified Bt maize on non–target organisms is required by law in South–Africa. Neuroptera are excellent indicators of environmental and habitat transformation, and also include key species for signifying areas and faunas that require priority protection. Monitoring techniques, especially for insect eggs, are often labour intensive and time consuming. A study was conducted to determine the preferred oviposition site of Chrysoperla spp. on maize plants to facilitate time–effective searching for eggs of these beneficial insects. Furthermore we determined if the presence of aphids on plants influenced Chrysoperla spp. oviposition preference. Another study was conducted to evaluate the effect of indirect exposure of C. pudica to Cry 1Ab protein, through healthy Bt–maize feeding prey, on its biology. Daily flight activity patterns and the height at which chrysopid adults fly above the crop canopy were also determined, as well as the movement of adult Chrysoperla spp. between maize fields and adjacent headlands. A clear spatial oviposition pattern was observed on maize plants and oviposition was not random as reported in earlier studies. This data facilitates rapid monitoring of the presence of eggs in maize cropping systems and is also of use in general pest management. Choicetest data showed that females responded positively to host plants that were infested with aphids. Feeding studies in which C. pudica larvae were indirectly exposed to Bt–toxin at the 3rd trophic level, showed a limited effect of Bt–toxin on only a few of the parameters that were evaluated. The pupal period and percentage adult emergence of larvae exposed to an unusually high amount of Bt–toxin was significantly shorter and lower respectively than that of the control group. The overall result of this study, in which the possible effect of food quality (prey) was excluded, showed that Cry 1Ab protein had an adverse affect only on certain fitness components during the life cycle of C. pudica. However, since this study represented a worst–case scenario where diverse prey was not available to C. pudica, negligible effects is expected under field conditions where prey is more diverse. It was determined that chrysopids was most active between 16:00 – 23:00 and that they fly largely between 0.5 m – 2.5 m above ground level. An attempt was also made to quantify migration between different vegetations types. This part was terminated because of bad weather conditions at several occasions when the experiment was attempted. Chrysopids were never present in grassland vegetation, but an adjacent lucerne field maintained a large population. As the maize crop developed chrysopid population numbers increased inside the field, presumably originating from the lucerne field.<br>Thesis (M.Sc (Environmental Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Kyoto University (京都大学)<br>0048<br>新制・課程博士<br>博士(農学)<br>甲第22475号<br>農博第2379号<br>新制||農||1074(附属図書館)<br>学位論文||R2||N5255(農学部図書室)<br>京都大学大学院農学研究科地域環境科学専攻<br>(主査)教授 日本 典秀, 教授 田中 千尋, 准教授 刑部 正博<br>学位規則第4条第1項該当

Comprendre comment les processus de transmission non génétique comme la transmission sociale influencent l’évolution comportementale des espèces est une problématique importante en biologie de l’évolution. Cette thèse cherche à appréhender les mécanismes de diffusion et de maintien d’une information au sein d’un groupe par l’étude de la transmission sociale d’un choix de site d’oviposition chez Drosophila melanogaster. Le premier volet de cette thèse met en évidence l’existence d’une transmission du choix de site de ponte entre des femelles démonstratrices possédant l’information et des femelles observatrices naïves ainsi qu’à déterminer le processus d’apprentissage social sous-jacent. Le transfert de l’information sociale du choix d’oviposition se fait par le biais d’interactions directes entre les démonstratrices et observatrices. L’analyse de ces interactions par une méthode de vidéo tracking révèle l’existence d’un transfert de l’information bidirectionnel : plus les observatrices et les démonstratrices interagissent plus les observatrices acquièrent le choix d’oviposition et plus les démonstratrices le perdent. L’acquisition d’une information personnelle de la part les démonstratrices n’induit pas systématiquement sa transmission sociale aux observatrices suggérant que les deux processus sont dissociés. Le deuxième volet vise à comprendre dans quels contextes l’information sociale est employée et comment un individu réalise la balance entre l’utilisation des informations sociales et personnelles présentes dans son environnement. L’influence du groupe est examinée sur l’efficacité de la transmission par l’étude de paramètres tels que le ratio entre démonstratrices et observatrices, la taille du groupe, ou la présence d’une variabilité génétique. Les drosophiles montrent une stratégie d’apprentissage social de « copier la majorité » pour choisir leur site de ponte. Lorsque deux informations sociales sont présentes et contradictoires, les drosophiles acquièrent celle en adéquation avec leur préférence innée. La taille du groupe n’influence pas la transmission sociale mais perturbe l’utilisation de l’information personnelle des démonstratrices. La présence d’une variabilité génétique au sein du groupe, issue du polymorphisme du gène foraging, montre des différences de stratégies d’apprentissage social entre les individus des différents variants alléliques. L’utilisation de l’apprentissage social est parfaitement intégrée dans les prises de décision des drosophiles laissant envisager sa prévalence dans le règne animal. Cette thèse permet d’apporter de nouveaux éléments sur les mécanismes d'adaptation du comportement basé sur les processus de transmission sociale et de dégager les futurs enjeux liés à son étude<br>Understanding how the process of non-genetic transmission as social transmission influence species behavioral evolution is an important issue in evolutionary biology. This thesis seeks to understand the diffusion mechanisms and information maintenance within a group studying social transmission of a choice of oviposition in Drosophila melanogaster. The first part of this thesis show social transmission occurrence of oviposition choice between informed demonstrator and naive observer females and try to determine social learning processes underlying. Social information transfer of oviposition choice occurs through direct interactions between demonstrators and observers. Analysis of these interactions by a video tracking method reveals a bidirectional information transfer: the more observers and demonstrators interact, the more observers gain oviposition choice behavior and the more demonstrators lose it. Personal information acquisition of oviposition choice by demonstrators is not sufficient to induce its transmission to observers, observers social learning seems to require special conditions. The second part of this thesis analyzes how social context influence social information use and how an individual realizes the balance between social and personal information use. The influence of group composition on social transmission efficiency is studied through different parameters such as the ratio between demonstrators and observers, group size, and the presence of genetic variability within the group. Flies show a “copy the majority” social learning strategy in their oviposition site choice behavior. Females acquire social information matching with their innate preference in presence of two contradictory social information. Group size does not affect the social transmission but perturbs demonstrator’s use of personal information. Genetic variability within the group stems from foraging gene polymorphism shows differences of social learning strategy between allelic variants. This thesis highlights a social learning use fully integrated into individuals’ decision-making and brings new elements on behavioral adaptation mechanisms based on social transmission processes

The violet copper (Lycaena helle) is one of Europe’s most endangered butterflies as a result of loss and fragmentation of its habitat. In order to further understand the habitat requirements of this species it is important to observe the specific characteristics of the oviposition sites. There is little research on L. helle in Sweden and the least in the northern parts. In this study I searched for eggs and larvae along a seashore meadow in Norrbotten County where a substantial number of L. helle recently had been found. The area differed from the species’ usual habitat in that the host plant Bistorta vivipara was scarce in large parts. The coastline was split into two areas for comparison according to vegetation type and direction of the shore, one seemingly more suitable for L. helle and the other less so. The results showed that oviposition sites had a lower coverage of, and average height, of the surrounding vegetation than potential oviposition sites without eggs. The coverage of the host plant did not differ between oviposition sites and sites without eggs. Most of the eggs were found on the first area where, surprisingly, a few Bistorta vivipara had up to eight eggs on a single leaf. The sometimes complete lack of eggs on the second area, while still containing a reasonable amount of Bistorta vivipara, confirms that the presence of the host plant is not enough for the females to lay eggs and that any host plant will not be chosen as an oviposition site. The amount of eggs found in the first area together with its structure and east-facing shore further confirms that this species is dependent on lower and more sparse vegetation together with high solar radiation.

The salamander family Sirenidae is composed of two extant genera, Siren and Pseudobranchus, each with two known species. Several questions regarding Sirenidae life history persist, and much of the available life history data for Pseudobranchus are attributed to studies of P. axanthus in northern Florida. Information on the reproductive biology of P. axanthus is limited, and historical references often suggest contradictory results. This study was undertaken to clarify information and expand on the limited data regarding P. axanthus reproductive biology, specifically for southern Florida populations. The study population was most likely the P. a. belli subspecies. P. axanthus in southern Florida exhibited year round, continuous reproduction with oviposition documented in nine months. Potential clutch size was positively correlated to female size. The largest observed potential clutch was a female with 58 pre-ovulatory oocytes. The largest observed bout was a female with 15 oviductal eggs. Female P. axanthus in southern Florida oviposited eggs singly and at total densities of 3-4 eggs/m2. Developmental time to egg hatching lasted about 30 days, larvae hatched at 16mm TL, and minimum size at female sexual maturity was 115mm TL and 72mm SVL. The reproductive biology of P. axanthus was distinctly contrasting to other members of the family Sirenidae, S. intermedia and S. lacertina, that occupy the same habitat at the same study location.

Tidigare studier har visat att äggläggande malariavektorer attraheras till vissa flyktiga organiska ämnen (VOC) som finns i olika gräsarter. Syftet med den här studien var att verifiera att flyktiga organiska ämnen finns i fyra olika gräsarter från Kenya; Panicum repens,Cynodon dactylon och Cyperus papyrus med Pennisetum setaceum rubrum som kontroll förde andra gräsarterna. För att analysera de flyktiga organiska ämnena extraherades gräset medhjälp av ultraljudsextraktion (UAE) och fastfasextraktion (SPE). De flyktiga organiska ämnena analyserades med gaskromatografi- masspektrometri (GC-MS). På grund av utbrottet av COVID-19 så analyserades istället resultat från en tidigare studie som använde samma metod. Det visades att Cyperus rotundus innehöll flera olika terpener och det antogs att Cyperus papyrus också innehåller några av dess föreningar. Det drogs också slutsatsen attbåde UAE och SPE ska användas för att ge bästa resultat med avseende på mängden analytersom extraherats. Fortsättningsvis så drogs slutsatsen att då UAE ska användas så är acetonitril att föredra över metanol som lösningsmedel. Den här studien är en översikt av den tidigare nämnda metodiken.

Orientadores: João Vasconcellos Neto, Gustavo Quevedo Romero<br>Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia<br>Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T08:37:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Zanatta_MateusFornazari_M.pdf: 1558379 bytes, checksum: 8b7c43c47346a21b0fb6f2df8d0e504c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013<br>Resumo: As aranhas apresentam uma grande variedade de estilos de vida, comportamentos e interações ecológicas, mas pouco se sabe sobre a história natural da maioria delas. Existe uma diversidade de formas de cuidado materno em aranhas e ele costuma ser essencial para a proteção e sobrevivência da prole. A seleção de um local adequado para depositar os ovos é uma das primeiras e mais importantes decisões tomadas pelas fêmeas e pode afetar o desenvolvimento dos ovos, a capacidade de proteção das mães e a facilidade para obter alimento. Aysha piassaguera é uma aranha cursorial da família Anyphaenidae e suas fêmeas constroem ninhos em folhas de plantas da borda da mata, onde depositam seus ovos e cuidam deles até a eclosão e dispersão dos filhotes. Nesse trabalho estudamos alguns aspectos de sua história de vida, mais especificamente seu desenvolvimento (capítulo 1), preferência por locais para construção dos ninhos e oviposição (capítulo 2) e função de seu comportamento parental na sobrevivência dos ovos (capítulo 3). Para o estudo do desenvolvimento, coletamos algumas ootecas e criamos as aranhas em laboratório. As fêmeas depositaram em média 123,7 ovos, que levaram 14 dias para eclodir e mais 9,88 dias para dispersar. As aranhas emergiram já no 2º instar, onde a taxa de mortalidade foi maior (20,51%), cada instar durou em média 27,28 dias, a maturidade sexual foi atingida em torno do 11º instar, após uma média de 250,36 dias após a eclosão, sobrevivendo 77,68 dias como adultas. Investigamos se havia preferência por locais para construção dos ninhos em relação à altura do substrato (próximo ao solo ou à copa) e ao grupo de plantas (Monocotiledôneas ou Dicotiledôneas) comparando a proporção de ninhos construídos nesses lugares, além de analisarmos o quanto algumas características foliares (Razão comprimento/largura, Espessura, Força de dobra e MFA - massa foliar por área) explicam a utilização das folhas para a construção dos ninhos. Os ninhos foram construídos em maior proporção na região próxima ao solo e em Monocotiledôneas, algo possivelmente relacionado ao modo de vida errante e arbustivo desta aranha e ao formato alongado das folhas dessas plantas. Inclusive, a característica foliar que melhor explicou a utilização das folhas foi a Razão comprimento/largura, com folhas mais compridas sendo preferidas, provavelmente por permitirem a construção de um ninho mais simétrico e fechado. Considerando o cuidado materno, testamos a influência da presença da mãe e dos ninhos na sobrevivência dos ovos em três tratamentos: Controle (mãe presente e ninho fechado), Sem Mãe (mãe ausente e ninho fechado) e Aberto (mãe ausente e ninho aberto). A sobrevivência foi maior no Controle do que nos outros dois tratamentos, entre os quais não houve diferença. Como a principal causa de mortes foi ataques de inimigos naturais, isso sugere que a presença da mãe é importante para a proteção dos ovos, enquanto o abrigo sozinho é pouco eficiente nisso. Apesar disso, ele poderia influenciar na manutenção de um microambiente propício ao desenvolvimento dos ovos ou facilitar a defesa dos ovos pela fêmea<br>Abstract: Spiders display a wide range of lifestyles, behaviors and ecological interactions, but little is known about the natural history of the majority of them. There is a great variety of forms of maternal care in spiders and it is usually essential for the protection and survival of offspring. Selecting an appropriate site for egg laying is one of the first and most important decisions made by females and may affect egg development, the protective ability of mothers and the facility to obtain food. Aysha piassaguera is an anyphaenid hunting spider in which females build box-like nests by folding leaves of forest edge plants, in which females lay their eggs and guard them until hatching and dispersal. In this work we studied some aspects of its life history, particularly, its development (chapter 1), preference for nest building and oviposition sites (Chapter 2) and the effect of parental behavior on egg survival (chapter 3). To study development, we collected egg sacs and reared the spiderlings in the laboratory. Females laid on average 123,7 eggs per egg sac, eggs took 14 days to hatch and another 9,9 days for spiderlings to start dispersing. Spiderlings emerged already in the second instar, which had the higher death rate (20,5%). Each instar lasted 27,3 days, on average, and spiders reached sexual maturity around the 11º instar. From emergence it took an average of 250,4 days for a spider to become adult and the adults survived 77,68 days. We investigated whether females displayed preference for nest construction sites concerning substrate high (near the ground or on plants crowns) and group of plants (monocotyledons or dicotyledons) by comparing the proportion of nests built on those places and we also verified how much some leaf traits (length/width ratio, thickness, folding force and LMA - leaf mass per area) explain the use of leaves for nest construction. Female built their nests mainly near the ground and on monocots, which could be related to this being a wandering species that hunts and takes cover on the lower part of the substrate and to the elongated shape of these plants' leaves, for the leaf trait that best explained leaf use was length/width ratio, with females preferring longer leaves, probably because elongated leaves allow the construction of a more symmetric and sealed nest. Concerning maternal care, we tested whether the presence of the mother and the nest affects egg survival using three treatments: Control (nests intact and mother present), Motherless (nest intact and mother removed) and Opened (nest opened and mother removed). Survival was higher on Control treatment than on the other two, which did not differ between each other. Considering that natural enemies' attacks were the main cause of deaths, this shows how the mother presence is crucial for egg protection, whereas the nest has no role in it. Nevertheless, they may help on the maintenance of a proper microenvironment for egg development or make it easier for the females to defend the eggs<br>Mestrado<br>Ecologia<br>Mestre em Ecologia

碩士<br>東海大學<br>生命科學系<br>95<br>I studied the oviposition site selection and reproductive strategy of Chirixalus eiffingeri in an unpredictable environment. I predicated that: 1) reproductive activity of C. eiffingeri vary with water resource availability, 2) oviposition sites correlate with stump quality, and 3) the presence of tadpoles affect the reuse of stumps. I selected a 1200 m2 bamboo forest as my study site and surveyed once each week from February 2004 to March 2005. For each frog captured within the study area, I recorded sex, snout-vent length, body mass, behavior, and capture location. I also recorded the condition of each bamboo stump (i.e. presence of egg clutches and tadpoles) and measured water depth weekly. Result showed that there were significantly relationships between the number of stumps with standing water and numbers of frogs and egg clutches. Furthermore, frogs particularly preferred stumps with taller trunks, deeper cups with deeper water depth, suggesting the water-holding capacity of stumps are critical to frog breeding. Under the tradeoff between water-holding capacity and competition among tadpoles, I found that frogs in the middle and latter part of breeding season reused stumps occupied by fewer tadpoles and males didn’t use the same stump for the next reproductive event. I contend that because water volume in stumps varied temporally, C. eiffingeri could protect offspring from desiccation by choosing stumps with greater water-holding capacity. Frogs might also use conspecifics (i.e. presence of tadpoles) as a cue to indicate stump quality. By choosing to breed in stumps with fewer tadpoles, frogs may reduce competition between resident tadpoles and their own offspring.

碩士<br>國立臺東大學<br>生命科學系碩士班<br>98<br>This study investigated the oviposition site distribution of Byasa polyeuctes termessus on two foodplants, Aristolochia foveolata and A. palmate, and analyzed the survival and hatch of these eggs at the various oviposition sites in Lilung mountain. The survey took place weekly, and there were 53 times of surveys, from 2009/3 to 2010/3. The results show that the distributions of oviposition sites were significantly different between A. foveolata and A. palmate. The female butterflies laid 62% of eggs at climbed plants, 22% at foodplant stem on A. foveolata; and laid 45% of eggs at climbed plants, 40% at foodplant leaves, 13% at foodplant stems, and 2% at other position on A. palmate. The oviposition site distributions were significantly different among seasons. In Lilung mountain, rainfall levels differed distinctly among seasons. In the rainy season (late spring and summer) when the two foodplants grew well, the female butterflies laid 22-45% of eggs at foodplant leaves, 40-45% at climbed plants, 9-15% at foodplant stems. In dry season (autumn and winter), females laid 29-58% of eggs at climbed plants, 23-51% at foodplant stems, 6-18% at foodplant leaves. The egg parasitism percentages were higher in high oviposition plots (56-58%) than in low oviposition plots (32-43%). The height of oviposition site increased with foodplant height. The oviposition site distributions had no significant difference among different foodplant height of A. foveolata, and the females laid more proportion of eggs at climbed plants than that at the leaves and stems of the foodplant. The oviposition site distributions were significantly different among different foodplant height of A. palmate. The proportion of eggs laid at foodplant leaves increased from 27% on the highest foodplants to 91% on the lowest ones, but the proportion of egg parasitism was much higher on the lowest foodplants (82%) than that on the other higher foodplant (40-50%). Over all, the female laid 45-62% of eggs at climbed plants, at which 15-24% of these egg successfully hatched and 44-57% was parasitized. Within the habitat of A. palmate, the eggs hatched more than 15% but were parasitized less than 14% at climbed plants in comparison with that at foodplant leaves. Therefore, the eggs laid at climed plants will reduce the risk of parasitism. Such oviposition site selection may benefit the population maintainance of Byasa polyeuctes termessus.

碩士<br>國立臺北教育大學<br>自然科學教育學系碩士班<br>101<br>This research was to realize frogs oviposition site selection in the water containers with different factors in Tatungshan, New Taipei City. Since March 2012 until March 2013, a research had been carried out in order to prepare the buckets that contained different contents to investigate the oviposition conditions of frogs. During the study period, 8 species of frogs were recorded to spawn in the standing waters, and 6 species of these frogs would use buckets to lay eggs. Rhacophorus prasinatus was the maximum number of spawning (248 spawning times), followed by Rana adenopleura (31 spawning times), Kurixalus eiffingeri (19 spawning times), Rana latouchii (14 spawning times) and Hyla chinensis (9 spawning times). Microhyla ornata was the minimum (2 spawning times). The foam nests of Rhacophorus taipeianus (13 spawning times) and Polypedates braueri (3 spawning times) were found only in the large pool. Oviposition choice in a bucket containing aquatic plants, fallen leaves or clearwater，the researcher found that Rhacophorus prasinatus used the buckets with clearwater more, and used the buckets with aquatic plants less. We found a statistically significant difference in female preference of oviposition site of clearwater or aquatic plants (ANOVA, F=3.765, p<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference between a bucket with aquatic plants or fallen leaves as well as clearwater or fallen leaves (p>0.05). For these three kinds of buckets, Rana adenopleura and Rana latouchii used to spawn most times in the buckets with aquatic plants, but there were no statistically significant differences between aquatic plants, clearwater and fallen leaves (F=1.876；0.232, p>0.05). Kurixalus eiffingeri, Hyla chinensis and Microhyla ornata on the oviposition site selection between the three factors was also no significant difference. Oviposition choice in the buckets with or without predators, because Rhacophorus prasinatus and Kurixalus eiffingeri used the two kinds of buckets spawning about the same times, there was no statistically significant difference (t=-0.582；-0.903, p>0.05). Oviposition site selection in a bucket with or without tadpoles, Rhacophorus prasinatus oviposited more frequently in the buckets within both clearwater and the same species tadpoles. The buckets within aquatic plants but no tadpoles were used to spwan less, however, there was no statistically significant difference (F=0.210, p>0.05). Kurixalus eiffingeri, Hyla chinensis and Microhyla ornata oviposited eggs times too small to be seen the difference between. On the oviposition selection of low, medium or high water leval buckets, Rhacophorus prasinatus spawned most times in the buckets with medium level water, and least times in high water level buckets, but no significant differences appeared between the three kinds of water level (F= 0.952, p> 0.05). Rana adenopleura laid eggs in high water level buckets more frequently, and in low water level buckets less, but there was no statistically significant difference among the three kinds of water level (F=0.893, p>0.05). Hyla chinensis and Microhyla ornata spawned times too small to be seen oviposition site selection differences.

The requirements of true frogs on breeding sites were monitored at 19 locations in the Hradec Králové Region and the Central Bohemia Region and Vysočina Region. Specific sites were selected according to the high variability. Breeding sites are mutually different representation of true frogs, water volume, depth, water and surrounding vegetation. The data of oviposition three different species of czech frogs - moor frog (Rana arvalis), agile frog (Rana dalmatina) and common frog (Rana temporaria) - were collected in the spring months, from the end of March until the end of April, from 2012 to 2015. During this period were collected data from 927 egg clutches of these species. The data were obtained by non-invasive way - measuring of inividual clutches directly on the reproductive site. At each breeding site was also recorded the required parameters of the breeding pond and the surrounding environment (presence of true frogs, the water volume and depth of the pond, the presence and density of aquatic vegetation, surrounding vegetation, air and water temperature, pH value of water, etc.). The results presented in this work confirm that the three species of true frogs have, in some parameters, different standards to select of breeding sites. This clarification of species- specific claims is also...

abstract: I examined how competition affects the way animals use thermal resources to control their body temperature. Currently, biologists use a cost benefit analysis to predict how animals should regulate their body temperature. This current theory of thermoregulation does not adequately predict how animals thermoregulate in the wild. While the model works well for animals in low cost habitats, it does not work as well for animals in high cost habitats. For example, animals that are in habitats of low thermal quality thermoregulate more precisely than predicted by the current model. One reason these predictions may be wrong is that they do not account for interactions between animals. By including these interactions in future predictions, a more accurate model of thermoregulatory behavior can be created. Before developing a theory for all animals, a model needs to be developed for a single model animal, such as fruit flies, that can be used to empirically examine how organisms thermoregulate under competition. My work examines how flies behave around other flies and develops a game theory model predicting how they should optimally behave. More specifically, my research accounts for competition among larvae by using game theory to predict how mothers should select sites when laying eggs. Although flies prefer to lay their eggs in places that will offer suitable temperatures for the development of their larvae, these sites become less suitable when crowded. Therefore, at some density of eggs, cooler sites should become equally beneficial to larvae when considering both temperature and competition. Given this tradeoff, an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) emerges where some flies should lay eggs in cooler sites while other flies should lay eggs at the warmer temperature. By looking at the fitness of genotypes in habitats of differing quality (competition, temperature, food quality, space), I modeled the ESS for flies laying eggs in a heterogeneous environment. I then tested these predictions by observing how flies compete for patches with different temperatures.<br>Dissertation/Thesis<br>Doctoral Dissertation Biology 2018

Gravids preferred oviposition sites that contain larvae over those that contain only water. The degree of preference increased with increasing larval instar, and also increased with increasing larval density up to a density of 2 larvae per ml. At higher densities the response became negative. Larvae act as indicators of site-suitability, and may indicate imminent competition at high densities, regardless of the presence of contaminating microfauna. Gravids rely on olfactory and chemo-tactile cues to detect the presence of larvae at oviposition sites, with a greater reliance on olfactory cues. Visual cues are unimportant in the detection of larvae. Gravids avoided ovipositing in a site already harboring eggs. This negative response increased with increasing egg density. Eggs are indicators of direct competition in the larval habitat. This avoidance reaction is mitigated by both olfactory and chemo-tactile cues. That egg distribution did not affect subsequent oviposition suggests the chemo-tactile response is more likely due to local concentration of chemicals than due to direct contact with eggs. Females visit more smaller sites when all available oviposition sites are identical, and lay fewer eggs in smaller treatment sites, than they do compared to larger sites. The gravid response is independent of substrate surface area and water volume. Eggs were not distributed differently in oviposition sites of different size but equal diameter, suggesting females may select different size-sites based on water surface area. Size is probably an indirect measure of available resources. The oviposition response does not vary with either chronological age of the gravid, nor with her gonotrophic cycle. Females separated in age by 2 weeks in post-emergence age or by 2 gonotrophic cycles responded to oviposition sites in the same manner. Oviposition behavior is flexible but does not take into account a female's relative fitness. The response to oviposition sites containing an attractive density of larvae was further investigated. Females could not discriminate between control and treatment sites in a wind tunnel, even when released but 22 cm from the attractive treatment. The olfactory cues associated with larval rearing habitat act as close range oviposition attractants.

This research was conducted to determine the species composition and prevalence of immature mosquitoes in waste tires throughout Manitoba. Further research was done to determine if there were temporal factors, environmental factors, or tire characteristics that could predict the likelihood of finding mosquito larvae in tires. Over 95% of the larvae and egg rafts collected from tires in the two years of this study were Culex restuans. An egg raft was discovered in a tire within 24 hours of it being filled with water. Prevalence and abundance of immature mosquitoes in tires increased as the summer progressed. Tire size, and the amount of sun exposure had a significant effect on abundance and prevalence of immature mosquitoes in tires. Larger tires had significantly more immature mosquitoes and significantly more often than smaller tires. (F value 47.14, df=3, p<0.0001; x value 68.21, df=3, p<0.0001). Exposed tires contained more egg rafts than the shaded tires (p = 0.042). Stacking method affected mosquito prevalence and abundance when sampling was conducted in August. Horizontally stacked tires contained significantly fewer immature mosquitoes than either random or vertically stacked tires (p< 0.05).